Blog Update

B&M No. 1208's whistle is blowing as it crosses the Northfield Falls roadway en route to Bellows Crossing. The young lad is doing a good job keeping his flock together with all that noise. I see he can also count on help from his best friend trailing the gang. The Northfield Falls covered bridge reflects the look of the real thing along the Central Vermont Railway. The bridge still stands today. The sign on the bridge was removed from the station before it was torn down. It spent many years on the bridge. I copied this prototype feature. The CV station agent lived for years at a house next to he bridge.

Four Months of Blogging

Well it is now four months since I began this blog. Currently there are 68 posts and a total of 5,000 page views set this past weekend. I think things are working out well for my blog. I am trying to post at least three times a week which includes one model feature or photo plus a prototype inspiration. I have about a month left before I begin my spring and summer season projects. In early April I am up at the lake most days working on my sailboat which goes in the beginning of May. By then I will be down to one post per week. May through September I will be posts once or twice a month. There is no wireless connections at some of the places out on the lake.  I also have a daughters wedding during the summer which requires me to do as I am told. Once fall arrives I will begin regular posting once again. Additional post could happen at any time.

What is Next...
It has been fun documenting my projects. I currently am finishing off another RailroadKits model with Peter Mumby and will post this shortly. I have completed my drawing for the Polka Dot restaurant in WRJ. I also have the windows and walls on hand. I like to cover a bit of the history for that building. I am guessing this project will not be completed till fall. The Northeastern barn still has not found a good home on the layout. It was to be used by the Northfield Falls covered bridge seen above. I feel it takes away from that current scene. I plan to use the barn on a diorama till an extension is added to my layout.

Detailed photos, plans and windows are seen waiting for construction to begin. The Polka Dot Restaurant will be a foreground structure for my White River Junction station scene.

Ongoing Projects...
There is always a lot to do. I have two Central Vermont engines to work on which is taking more time to complete than anticipated. One, a brass etchings for a CV 0-8-0 will be my second attempt at etchings. My first was a HOn30 Forney many years ago. The other engine is my CV 2-8-0  that needs repainting, DCC and sound. Peter and I have a small ARR 40' boxcar fleet that saw construction beginning in January. We also are working on pre-painted Walthers CV cabooses in the maple leaf. We are each adding proper cupolas, stacks and end steps. This is a bigger project than first thought, since the trucks need to be moved, so the cabooses can actually operate. Peter is using a CNR Juneco caboose kit for details such as the steps and ends while I have cut up a CNR True Line trains model (painted up CV which is wrong for the model) for the parts I need. I picked up the caboose for a song. I hope to post these projects once completed.

Well back to my modelling while the snow is still flying....George Dutka

While in Florida this month we found someone just could not get away from the cold without a snowman...so they decided to built one out of sand. This is in Siesta Key which is rated the number one beach in America with sand that is great for shaping into castles and figures. We had a great spot right on the beach.